


Abadonna’s Tale

by PandorasBoxOfLies



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angels, Canon Non-Binary Character, Demons, Ghost Hunters, Ghosts, I said no archive warnings apply but that might change by the end of the story, I’m saying there could be blood in our future, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, Not Beta Read, if you like gay idiots then this is for you!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:07:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25072120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PandorasBoxOfLies/pseuds/PandorasBoxOfLies
Summary: What happens when a depressed demon, a secretive ghost hunter, and an angel with the free will of a laptop become friends?Shenanigans, that’s what.Please enjoy: Abbadona’s Tale
Kudos: 1





	1. Rock Salt And Candles

**Author's Note:**

> If you’re reading this, you’re either one of my Instagram followers, my friend in real life, or way too deep in the AO3 rabbit hole. Either way, I hope you enjoy my non-beta read monstrosity!

“Good evening, Mam. Will this be all for you today?” The store clerk asked with a smile. The woman in front of her held a bulky plastic basket featuring a Walmart logo on it’s side. She set it down on the counter and reached for her leather wallet.  
“Yep! Thank you.” She replied. She wore dusty black flats and a floral-print dress with a short black cardigan. The cashier began scanning her items.  
“Lotta black candles, I see.” She commented, smiling, “And some Rosemary. Hope you’re not plannin’ on doing anything demonic.”  
The floral customer gripped the handle of her tote nervously and forced a smile.  
“Haha, nope! I’m just helping my sister re-decorate her house! She, um, really likes candles.”  
The cashier finished scanning and put the items in bags. The woman quickly gathered them onto her arms and began to leave, when she heard the clerk call out.  
“Miss? You forgot something.”  
She turned around to see her slightly shaking a large box of salt.  
“Oh, um, thank you!” The woman in the dark cardigan said, pacing back. When she went to grab the salt, the cashier didn’t let go and stared at her hard with lobelia blue eyes.  
“Just so ya know, it’s only rock salt that can hurt a demon. This stuff only works on spirits.” She said in a casual tone, letting the salt go. The customer stared at her for a couple seconds before quickly pacing out the door, shoving the box into her tote.  
The cashier smiled and checked the time on her screen. It was almost five am, meaning her shift was almost up. 

She grabbed her soft red jacket on the way out the back door, her coworker meeting her there.  
“The lady that just left looked like a librarian from Hogwarts.” Micheal said with a laugh. She rolled her eyes as they walked out the door together.  
“You know, the only info I have about those wizard books comes from you, and I’m not sure you’re the best source of information.” She tossed her bag into her old VW Jetta and leaned against it for a moment to light a quick cigarette. Micheal joined her.  
“I still find it unbelievable that you’ve never seen Harry Potter. Were you born under a rock?” He said. She shrugged and stared as smoke fluttered out of her mouth.  
“I guess so.”  
“Hey, can I get one?” He asked. She nodded and held out the box, watching him hold it in his full lips as he searched for his lighter.  
“Careful, those’ll kill you.” She told him dryly as he lit it up, sounding like an old woman watching teenagers in the park. Micheal huffed a laugh.  
“They’ll kill you too, pal.” He said. They gossiped back and forth about customers, coworkers, and current events for a moment or two, then Micheal pushed off the car.  
“Well, I’ll see ya on Thursday. Bye Abby.” He waved over his shoulder with a smile as he walked towards the sidewalk that led to his apartment.  
“See ya.” She replied, returning the wave.  
Abby wasn’t her name, not really, and she knew that, but she also knew that he didn’t need to know that.  
She watched him plug in his earbuds as he walked off, taking note of his aged, monochrome, tartan hoodie and his small dirty sneakers. She was glad her coworker shared her sense of humor. She couldn’t stand doing a graveyard shift at Walmart with someone boring.  
She opened her car door, eyes following the cigarette pack she tossed into the passenger’s seat.  
“I wish they would, Mikey.”  
She flicked her cigarette out on the concrete, got in her car, and pulled out of the lot. After some fiddling with the radio, she settled on a news station reporting a recent fire at an apartment complex.  
She didn’t like it, but there was nothing better on the radio anyway.  
It was dark out that night, dark and murky, but it wouldn’t be for long. The tiny glittery stars covered the sky in intricate designs. Like the eyes of the universe were watching all the little people bustle about on their little planet, judging, glaring, and staring until it would certainly blink away with the morning.

She pulled into her driveway and stepped out of her car. Her house wasn’t exactly attractive, and she knew it wasn’t. It was bland, small, and grey with a black roof and white front door. Thick grey curtains were visible in the windows, the gangliest trees grew there, and her lawn was rarely cared for. It was just the way she wanted it.

Abby walked inside the dark living room, not bothering to flick the lights on. She shook off her shoes and tried her jacket as well, but eventually gave up, collapsing backwards on her unmade bed. She released a heavy sigh as she felt shiny onyx-colored horns slip through her forehead and curve backwards. Her hands stretched then began to blacken, talons slowly replacing her pale fingertips. She savored the quiet of the 5:00 am city as her limbs and teeth gradually grew longer. She felt a whip-like black tail sprout from her tailbone and rest above her stomach, stray cobalt feathers fluttering gently.  
Abadonna, the fallen Seraph, opened her blackish-blue eyes and stared at her plain ceiling, wishing distantly that she was capable of sleep.  
“Uugh, thank...thank someone I don’t have roommates.” She said out loud to no one in particular.


	2. Snails

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AO3 won’t let me add the art that goes along with the chapters >:/. Oh well

The seraph looked lovingly across her home of clouds and light. Beautiful, nearly blinding light shaped like pillars, walls, statues, and some in shapes without a true word to describe them. The garden she was inside of at the time was vast and slightly metaphorical. The ground there felt something like sand or round little pebbles, and waterfalls lined the area as they were taught how to fall. Plants of every color, shape, and size were being created and cared for in the huge garden. Plants with names, without names, and some that would not receive a name until they were extinct. Plants that were currently being developed with the help of a squadron of specialized angels chosen by Sammael, the ruler of the Fifth Heaven, and Ariel, one of the seven princes of the waters.  
“Abadonna!” Called a voice from behind the red-haired seraph.

She turned her head away from the yellow flowers in front of her to see her brother Abdiel coming towards her. His six pure white wings fluttered excitedly and his hands were cupped together in front of him. Abadonna smiled.  
“What have you to show me?” She asked as he knelt next to her. His grin widened further and he held out his hands like he was offering up a statue made of glass.  
“Look at what They have made!”  
He slowly opened his cupped hands to reveal a tiny brown snail. It glanced slowly around the cloudy setting, and despite lacking any distinguishable facial features, it was clearly confused.  
“They told me I was allowed to bring this one to show you. They seem to be very proud of it.” He said. Abadonna couldn’t tear her gaze away from it. It had to be the most wonderful creature she’d seen so far.  
“I do believe I understand why.” She responded, “may I hold it?”  
Abdiel nodded and brought his hands to hers. They watched intently as the snail carefully climbed into Abadonna’s palms. It’s slimy texture was a sharp contrast to her dry and calloused hands. The grayish brown of it’s shiny body was a delightful contrast to the constant surroundings of blinding color and white clouds.  
“What is it’s name?”  
“I believe They referred to it as Snail.”  
“It is so delightful! Shall we show it to others?” She asked, excitement practically oozing out of her expression. Abdiel’s face fell slightly, his eyebrows coming together.  
“We mustn’t, of course. They would have told us if we could!” He responded, hands still next to hers as the snail slithered about curiously. Abadonna tilted her head in confusion.  
“But they have been working hard for a very long time now. Do they not deserve a small break?” She asked him. He looked at her like she’d asked to snap his wings off.  
“Are you being serious? They would have told me if I was meant to.” Abdiel barked.  
“But, w-“  
“Are you questioning the Almighty?” He harshly whispered. His wings spread above him like a blinding and threatening headdress, and Abbadona’s eyes widened with hurt.  
“No...of course not.” She looked down at her knees as her own cornflower wings folded closed bashfully.  
“...I am sorry Abdiel.”  
The snail was in his hands as Abdiel stood, folding his wings curtly. He looked down at her.  
“You are my sister. Of course I forgive you.”

Abadonna heard a loud whoosh, and by the time she looked up, Abdiel was far away in the skies. She wrapped her arms around each other and let her wings relax as she looked back out to the city. Its piercing light and wet clouds went on as far as anything could see. The distant silhouettes of cherubs and principalities blinking about through their world, performing their tasks they were given by someone else who was completing a task when they gave it to them. Above her was not blackness and was not stars, since those had not been invented just yet. She’d heard that They were going to develop something big soon, and she was excited to know what it would be.

Sometimes she wished the world she lived in was different, that her life could be something more, but she would never say those wishes out loud.  
Never in 5,603 years would she even think of it.  
She turned her head back to the vibrant yellow flowers in her dusty hands, already missing the duller tones of the little snail she was blessed with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LOVE COMMENTS SO MUCH NO MATTER WHAT THEY SAY!!!!!


	3. Sunrises And Staircases

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing: more idiots!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AO3 doesn’t let me do italics >:/.

‘Sept. 28,  
The batteries I ordered came in today, and I hope the detector works now. It will definitely be useful in this new case I’ve found. This town may not look like it, but there’s loads of haunted land here. If you talk to any of the locals, at least one out of five has a story about a ghost sighting. The graveyard near the middle school has a very interesting statue that’s just begging for investigation. Honestly, that’s really the only one I could do on my own, since the rest require another set of hands and legs.  
I’ve been searching for a good hunting partner ever since I moved here, but it’s not exactly easy. Any time I ask someone, they either think I’m joking or crazy.  
I know I’m not crazy.  
Maybe I’ll make another Craigslist post. I guess it could work. 

-Sutton VI’

Kareem stretched his back with a yawn as he stood from his desk. His computer screen illuminated the dark bedroom with it’s harsh, artificial light. The page it was opened onto was some underground website about some supposed ghost sightings that even he wasn’t too certain about. His room was cluttered and messy, but he didn’t think about it. He adjusted his wire-frame glasses. It was almost morning, maybe?  
“Uuugh...ok. I need a pick-me-up. Real bad.” Kareem told his curtains as he closed them. He had to step over multiple books and clothes to make it back to his desk.  
He closed the lid of his laptop and slid it into his backpack. He absently hoped he’d saved his writing as he counted through his spending money to check if he had enough for a fancy coffee. His flat mate never had anything good to snatch; always herbal teas and fresh exotic fruit. Disgusting.  
He threw on his closest zip-up hoodie and his loafers, then went to the mirror and ruffled his dusty blonde hair.  
“It’ll do.” He said to himself in the mirror.

On his way out the door, he grabbed his bike lock and called out to his roommate.  
“Hey, I’m going to that coffee shop on Galena. Don’t break anything until I get back!” He knew xe wouldn’t, of course.  
He hoped xe wasn’t awake. It honestly felt like no one should be awake, since the sun was barely visible at all, but to each their own he guessed.  
Kareem stepped out his door and as he went down the loud metal stairs, he admired the view of the city. The vibrant golden sun glaring out behind the brick and concrete buildings. Slowly bleeding warmth into the giant sky. Hundreds of stars fading away silently into the void.  
He knew the other people in the apartments under him were either just waking up, or completely asleep. He hoped they could hear how sorry he was as much as they could hear his thunderously loud steps. Once he reached the bottom, he pulled his cotton-candy blue bike off of it’s rack and set off for his delicious drink. His bike lock rattled in the wire basket quietly, adding to the soft atmosphere.

It was a boring ride, and the whole time he wished he’d charged his Bluetooth earbuds so he could flood the static in his head with a podcast or something. It didn’t help his ride that Kareem wasn’t exactly the most athletic person in town. Though the only class he ever got an F in was band, His other grades weren’t something to brag about, and he only really passed high school thanks to his academic college credits. Kareem felt his laptop and supernatural dictionary jostle in his backpack as he hit a speed bump and was reminded of just how useful those college credits were. He seriously wished he had a car.  
Oh well, at least he was almost there.

Kareem gradually slowed to a stop in front of the brick building, and saw a small bike parking spot next to some flashy sports car that looked ripe for an ex girlfriend to scratch her keys on. He found the spot cute, and kicked out his bike stand. He watched a group of people about his age entering the shop. He wondered how many of them were just waking up, and how many were going to sleep right after this. He wondered if he should ever get on a sleep schedule. Well, that’s not true. He HAD a schedule, he just chose to ignore it.  
Kareem checked his phone.  
“6:33...not a bad time for some breakfast-coffee.” He muttered to himself.  
He made one last look at the bright and cloudy sky, pushed his glasses up on his nose, and went inside of the dark cafe.


	4. School Starts Too Early These Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Good morning y’all :)

Abadonna grabbed the lone cup on the drying rack by her sink and placed it up in the cupboard. She didn’t have very many dishes since she lived alone and rarely ate anyway. The last time she had to cook for someone, it was when she’d just moved in and her neighbors had come over to visit. Those poor Catholics and their casserole were not quite prepared for that dinner, and honestly, neither was she.  
She was just glad they didn’t bring any children.  
The dark room was only illuminated by the slight glow of the thick curtains, but she didn’t care. She didn’t need any light anyway.  
Nothing was darker than hell.  
Abadonna wandered aimlessly around, checking her phone occasionally to see if she had any Emails, but mostly she found new places in the house to sit or lie down.  
At the moment, she was sitting very improperly on her sofa with her eyes closed trying to remember the ancient hymns she used to sing for Them. Her hand absentmindedly scratched through her curly red hair as she mumbled.  
“...The hand of the...It sifted through the sea....we wept as the Almig-Ow Ow!”  
The Lord’s names were impossible to say without her tongue burning like a firecracker, but still she would try. Some nights she would try until she couldn’t speak and could only cry.  
Suddenly, a sharp buzz jolted in her palm, snapping her lucid again. After a few panicked moments, she realized it was her phone. She sighed and checked the messages.

‘Your target has been discovered. He will be found at level three 1200 in Shadowbox Bend.  
He calls himself Kareem Calluay.  
Your mission is to corrupt his intentions and push him from the path of purity.’  
Abadonna rolled her eyes, then continued reading.  
‘You will complete this assignment by the end of October or you will be removed from earth permanently.  
Your work has been lackluster and meager lately, Abadonna.  
Try to have fun with this one.  
Sincerely,  
Adrameleck.'

She let out a slightly dramatic sigh. Adrameleck was always one to mock her, and she really couldn’t blame him.  
“These guys really gotta learn how to format emails.” She said to herself. “Well...at least I’ve got somethin’ to do now.”  
She rolled lazily off the sofa and tried to stretch her limbs, but accidentally scraped her claws on the ceiling.  
“Uugh, Bless!”  
Luckily, it reminded her to faze off her more demonic features before leaving the house. She wouldn’t be making that mistake again. It was way too strenuous to move out of Massachusetts last time, and her associates still hadn’t stopped calling her the Dover Demon.  
She felt her shiny black horns and tail slip slowly into her body as she watched her hands shrink and return to her regular skin tone. She slipped on a grey jacket that was hanging by the door and stepped outside. From her patio, she could see her neighbors taking out the garbage and made a mental note to do that soon so as to not look suspicious.  
Abadonna slipped into her car and adjusted the mirror, sighing when she saw the white pinpricks in her black eyes. With a blink, they were an unassuming shade of blue.

As she drove through the town towards Kareem’s apartment, she saw some children climbing onto a large yellow bus and groaned. How did these humans wake up at this hour? She didn’t even need to sleep and this time of day was exhausting for her. She knew the little ones were supposed to attend school soon, but what’s the point if it’s too early for anyone to learn anything? She was sure this was the doing of someone on her side, but she didn’t care to find out who.  
She winced somewhat at the thought of them being ‘her side’. It made it sound like she condoned their behavior. She could hardly ever condone her own behavior.  
“Why the HEAVENS am I so damn TIRED.” She groaned to herself when the sun glared into her eyes through her windshield. Despite the hurtfully placed light, Abadonna noticed a little place a couple blocks away with a wooden outline of a mug on it’s exterior wall. The sign next to it read: Merri’s Morning Drinks. She checked the time on her phone.  
“I guess 6:50ish is when a coffeehouse is supposed to be open.” She muttered as she pulled onto the road connected to the shop.


	5. Partners Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is meant to be kind of a pit stop, yknow? Like, it goes right on to the next, but the ending is meant to be more conclusive than other chapters.

‘Jan. 6,  
The hunt is over. Our holy water is spent, and our shiniest crucifix was lost, but we’ve done it. The Daemon Gaap is alive no more. It’s been very cold for pretty much our whole hunt, so I’m glad it’s finally finished. I can hardly wait to spend a nice while back home on my own bed. Below is the catalog of information that Chrissy collected of Gaap. Her memory’s as reliable as a roll of duct tape, and just as useful. I couldn’t ask for a better partner than her.

-Sutton IV'

Kareem sat alone in the warm, dark restaurant, latte in hand. The shop was very small, yet very busy. It had a small bar area with those metal stools that screeched loudly when you tried to get down from them, about five small tables placed throughout the area for antisocial studying, and two large tables that were often occupied by dweebs preparing to play DnD for six hours straight. The walls were painted in mostly dark browns, with the exception of one being a pumpkin-like orange, and were decorated with abstract artwork and signs like ‘Have a Brewtiful Morning.’ There was soft, modern music playing throughout the business, and despite being chock full of patrons, there was a soothing vibe to the place.  
Kareem’s notebook was propped up on his knees as he typed away on his sticker-covered-laptop. There were books and old journals almost covering the table, because you never know what you may need. His white mug of caffeine was placed daringly next to his vulnerable supplies. It had a little heart design in the foam when he got it, but he’d started drinking before he could notice it.  
With a heavy breath, Kareem stopped typing and rubbed his hands together. He was starting to feel eye strain, so he took off his glasses to clean them.

He used the moment of blindness as an opportunity to focus on the sounds around him, listening to the lyrics of the song that was playing and the voices of the other people in the shop. He’d caught onto a particularly interesting conversation where someone named Ashley was getting confronted for sleeping with somebody’s girlfriend and was attempting to focus and gather some context, when the twinkly chime of the door opening snatched his attention. Once he’d dawned and adjusted his glasses, he noticed a quite imposing figure at the counter. She had long, wavy hair and a thin red jacket, but the main reason she was so eye catching was the fact that she was at least half a foot taller than everyone else in the room. She was occasionally motioning at something on the chalkboard menu, but she seemed quick to put her hands back in her pockets.  
When the ginger stranger pulled out her wallet, Kareem suddenly realized how creepy he must have looked and snapped back to his computer screen.  
Moments later, he was scribbling down notes as he scrolled through a post on Reddit that had signs of being legit, when a deep voice startled him from his thoughts.  
“Can I sit with you? All the other seats are taken.” She asked. Kareem nodded his head as he adjusted in his chair.  
“Um, sorry, let me move those. I didn’t think anyone would sit there, sorry.”  
“It’s alright, dude.” She said, sitting down with her tall green mug as Kareem quickly gathered up his books. Luckily, this wasn’t the first time someone almost caught him with suspiciously occult-like books, and he’d made sure to put boring sleeves on any that needed it. The tall stranger smiled and rested one of her legs on top of the other.  
“My name’s Abby. Yours?” She asked.  
“Um, Kareem.” Said Kareem. He figured it was too risky to do any research around her, so he shut the lid of his laptop. Her eyes widened a bit.  
“Kareem?”  
“Uhm, yeah. Why?” He responded with slight concern in his voice. She waved her hand dismissively.  
“Nothing, I just, uh, went to school with a kid named Kareem. Kinda threw memories at me, y’know?” She replied, taking a drink from her black coffee.  
“Oh, that makes sense. I can’t hear the name Makayla without seriously cringing.” Kareem said with a laugh, and Abby smiled as well.  
“So, what are you studying?” She asked.  
“What? Oh! It’s ummm, algebra?” Abby raised an eyebrow skeptically.  
“I’m not exactly the most academic person on earth,” She said, moving to put both of her feet on the ground. “But are math textbooks s’posed to be leather and blood splattered?”  
Kareem blinked.  
“You saw the blood?”  
Abby sighed sharply. “Look, if it’s illegal, I promise I won’t tell anybody, so what’s your deal?”  
Kareem fidgeted with the rings of his notepad, then huffed deep breath, and leaned forward on the table, staring into Abby’s eyes.  
“Abby...do you believe in ghosts?” He said with the voice of a history teacher trying their best with none of their students taking them seriously. Abby stared at the wall and seemed to think for a moment, before responding. “Yeah, I guess.”  
“...Wait really? What about, like, cryptids?” Kareem was ecstatic, and did a poor job of hiding it.  
“Sure, why not.”  
“Witchcraft?”  
“Yeah?”  
Kareem was intently watching her face. “...Even demons?”  
Abby smirked slightly. “I don’ know. Why are you drilling me, exactly?”  
He smiled and pulled his stack of books back onto the table. Abby watched his mug nervously, but he had pretty much forgotten about it.  
“Well, it just so happens that these books are all about the supernatural. Some of them are more historical, but this journal here is more of a guidebook. There’s stuff in here you couldn’t even imagine!”  
Abby leaned forward and rested her chin on her hand. “Really? So do you like, hunt 'em?”  
“Yes...well I’m trying to, anyway. I found a pretty good case in the local cemetery, but I’d need a partner for it.” After he said it, Abby knew exactly what he’d look like when she set down her mug, and she was right. Kareem looked exactly like a labradoodle puppy whose owner just accidentally shook a jar of treats. Abby stared dryly for a moment before responding with a loud sigh, setting down her mug and holding up her hands.  
“Ok, fine. I’ve got nothing else going on. How can I help?”  
Kareem beamed and tossed out his notebook, a highlighter, and a ballpoint pen. Abby took a deep breath.

“So, are you on board?”  
“Huh?” She mumbled, startled back to reality. Kareem glared.  
“I said, are you gonna accept the position?” He smiled hopefully. She returned the smile, just a little less hopeful.  
“Look, I’m not fully convinced about all this stuff,” She held out her left hand. “But I bet you can convince me otherwise. Partners?”  
He shook her hand rapidly and Abby noticed how surprisingly tough his hands were.  
“Partners.”


	6. Ashley’s A Bad Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poor bike :(

The lanky ginger and the freckled blonde finished their coffee and exited the coffeehouse, making small conversation. Kareem asked about her trunk space and was greeted with a confused look then a seemingly sarcastic comment about a body fitting inside.   
“Well, I don’t have anything else on my agenda, so I could drive you to my house.” Said Abby, motioning her thumb behind her as she followed Kareem. He adjusted his glasses.  
“It’s cool, I rode my bike here anyway.”  
“Oh, nice. Do you live close?”  
“Eeh, kinda?”  
Suddenly, their conversation was cut off when they heard a commotion around the bend of the building, and Kareem instinctively pressed himself against the wall to listen. Abby just stood there watching him like an untrained teenager on their first day of work at a retail shop.  
“No, you can’t just say sorry after this, Ash!” A voice snarled.  
“Why not?” Another responded with equal aggression.  
“Because I know you’re lying!”  
The two partners made concerned eye contact, and Kareem started moving quietly towards the racket.  
“Oh yeah, cuz I can never tell the truth. Isn’t that what you said?”  
“Well was I wrong?”  
The two kept shuffling softly until they could see a girl in high waisted pants and someone else in a douchey SnapBack. They were standing next to the shiny sports car as Kareem’s bike witnessed the incident. If bikes could look uncomfortable, this one was absolutely disturbed.  
“I’m tired of this. I’m tired of you trying to control me!” The one in the SnapBack got inside the car, starting it with a loud BRRRMMMM.  
“Oh, so you’re just gonna leave? Is that it! Ash!” The girl yelled.  
The one apparently named Ash ignored her harshly and pulled out violently with a screech of their tires.  
“Hey, wait, look out for my-“ Kareem cried just a second too late. The cotton-blue bike was bludgeoned fatally by the flashy car and skid across the street pathetically, one wheel snapping off as it went.  
“...bike.”  
The sports car zoomed off, leaving an appalled woman, a shocked Abby, a distressed Kareem, and a crumpled bicycle resting on the pavement like a corpse. Everyone was silent for a short moment, then the woman with shiny lipstick huffed.  
“Oh my god.” She said.  
“OH MY GOD.” Kareem yelled, sprinting to the bicycle. Abby began walking to comfort him, but instead turned to the woman.  
She patted the girl’s shoulder.   
“Get some better friends.”   
The pink lipped woman stared up at her deep blue eyes, then quickly stormed away.  
“Oh god, oh no, oh god...” she could hear Kareem chanting as he surveyed the damage. He knelt next to the bike with his hands on his face. She sat next to him and rubbed his back.  
“You don’t happen to be a bike-repair man on top of being a ghost hunter, do you?” She asked. He shook his head with a sigh, the feeling of her hand grounding him. He pushed his glasses back up to his shiny eyes.  
“It’s...no big deal. I can get a new one.”  
“...Well...you can still ride with me if you want.”

Kareem sat in the passenger’s seat of Abby’s old sedan, listening to her put the broken bike in her trunk. He guessed things could be worse. He felt her open the door and slide into her seat. Her long fingers tapped on the steering wheel awkwardly and he could tell she was staring at him. He looked up to her eyes and noticed how dark the blue of her eyes was, especially in the shade of the black car.  
“...The worst part is, it was my dad’s bike.” Said Kareem tiredly. He held his backpack in his lap with a hug.  
“...I’m sorry that happened dude.” She remarked.  
“It wasn’t your fault, don’t apologize.”   
There was an awkward silence for a moment, then Kareem continued, pushing up his glasses.  
“It wasn’t blue when he gave it to me. It was just gray metal. I gave it a makeover, choosing a better color and adding rubber and decor to the handlebars. But the basket was there when I got it.”  
He put on his seatbelt as Abby started the car.  
“The basket’s wood was soaked in holy water and there was a sigil of protection on the lid.”  
They pulled out of the parking lot and Kareem looked solemnly at the bolts left over on the pavement.  
“Lotta protecting that did.” He added bitterly. Abby stared at the road for a moment before replying.  
“It was a pretty cute bike.”  
“...Yeah.”  
“...I’m sorry that happened, dude.”  
“Don’t apologize. You didn’t crash into the bike, that Ash person did.” Kareem responded. Abby’s face displayed her confusion for a short second.  
“Oh...sorry.”  
Kareem smacked her arm. “No!” He laughed, and she smiled awkwardly.  
“Well, I guess we could put some sigils in the trunk if you want.” She remarked.  
“That’s a good idea, and you should have one anyway. Safety first.”  
Abby laughed slightly. “Yeah, gotta be cautious in case any ghosts wanna steal my spare tire.”  
“I’m serious! If we caught something, we could put it in the trunk and it couldn’t escape.”  
“I don’t like the thought of stuffing ghouls in my car very much.”   
Kareem rolled his eyes. “Oh whatever. You signed up for this job!”  
Abby huffed a laugh. “I guess I did. Now, which way to your house?”  
“Um...left?”

The sun was just as bright as it was before they had gone inside the little cafe, but it felt less prominent than before. Less important. The sky was the same shimmering blue, but the clouds were larger and fuller, gray paintings that stained the blue cloth it rested on, flowing peacefully and silently, never hurting a soul. The soft gradient nearly invisible from the window of Abby’s sedan, but just visible enough.  
It was probably going to rain soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rip bicycle. May you roll with the angels.


	7. Nightlights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one was hard to write for some reason. Idk.

Water. That’s where it began. A huge, mostly round orb of water. Bubbling and crashing about in it’s own little orbit. This, of course, wasn’t the first planet ever created. The Almighty had many test runs before coming up with the perfect balance of shape, distance, and life. Some of which are still out there, but that’s not what we’re focusing on.  
We’re focusing on the life that came before the earth.  
The Seraph stood atop her greenhouse. Well, not her greenhouse, exactly, but the one she worked in. It was quite tall, and since it was near a cliff, it was very easy to see the little bubbling earth floating about. she could almost hear it, but not quite.  
“Beautiful, is it not?”  
Abadonna turned her head, then quickly bowed. He smiled and held up his hand.  
“Relax. There is no need for that.” Sammael the Archangel said. She looked up with confusion, but returned to her original position, sitting on the edge of the building. He sat down next to her, soft caramel hair slightly blowing.  
“They told me their creation is almost complete. They say it will have a will unlike any of us.”  
Abbadona looked up at him. “What do They mean?”  
He shrugged lazily. “I do not know. I’m sure Gabriel would not appreciate us asking such questions, though.” He nudged her playfully, and she laughed reluctantly.  
“...I hope They add a good place for our plants. I am quite proud of our work.”  
“I am sure They will. Otherwise, why would They have us make them?”  
She took a deep breath. “Abdiel tells me to never question the Almighty...but you seem so free with your words.” She brought her legs up to her chest. “I mean, you are practically Their favorite.”  
He laughed a bit. “I mean, I would not say favorite, exactly.”  
“You know what I mean! You and your siblings have such incredible power and pressure upon you...but you seem to be so relaxed.” She looked at her feet.  
Sammael smiled softly and wrapped one of his golden wings around her.  
“I understand how difficult it must be to be told what to do without explanation. All of us angels must endure it, and it is only worse the lower you are on the chain of command.”  
Abadonna let go of her legs and kicked them absently over the edge of the pearly building.  
“I just wish that I knew what it is all for.” She mumbled, leaning into Sammael’s open wing.  
“...So do I...But I know for sure They would never lead us into harm’s way.”  
They stared off into the ‘sky’ for a silent moment, leaning into each other.  
“I hope so.” The small seraph sighed.  
Off in the distance, they could see Kakabel and his squadron of angels hanging stars in the sky. Each glittery speck a masterful craft with a destructive fate. Capable of bringing both life and death.  
Mostly death, though. They are made of quite a lot of fire.  
The two sat together on that roof for quite a while. Saying they stayed there all night, while not technically correct, since night is a concept that only has value from the perspective of earth, would still be accurate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don’t ship them.  
> I know I can’t stop you, but trust me.


	8. Breakfast And Bickering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love these dumbasses.

‘Jan 19,  
Reminder for readers: When Jan tells you the “White Rabbit” story, everything she says is wrong. it don’t matter how funny it is. I didn’t forget the crossbow, It never screamed like a billygoat, and never in my life would I call that crazy woman “sunshine”. I don’t know where she thought up all that nonsense. Probably Jemmy now that I’m thinking about it. If you want to know what actually happened, I wrote about it on page 109 so you can pull this out and prove that hothead wrong next time she starts rambling.

-Sutton IV  
Oh hush. You love me.  
If you have time to write me middle school love notes, you have time to fold the towels.  
Fine. XOXO.’

“Sraosha! I’m home!” Kareem called into the light grey apartment, nudging the door closed with his hip.  
“Anything cool happen?”  
“A young sparrow landed on the windowsill, but that’s about it.” A voice called from the kitchen. The sizzle and smell of eggs was apparent, and covered the whole room, reminding him he hadn’t eaten anything in almost nine hours except caffeine. He kicked off his shoes and made his way towards the smell.   
The kitchen had robin’s egg blue walls, and old fashioned, splotchy countertops. His flatmate stood with xyr back turned to him in front of the electric stove. Xe wore a light navy green jumper with a soft white undershirt, and xyr pale hair was, as usual, put up in a frizzy ponytail.  
Kareem sat at the little table in the center of the room, setting his bag against the chair. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.  
“Well, guess what happened at the coffee shop?”  
Sraosha pondered silently for a moment before responding.  
“You saw a deer?”  
“Better than that, I-Oh, thank you-I finally found someone to go hunting with me!” Xe set a plate with a fried egg and some heavily toasted bread in front of him. His eyes lit up.  
“That’s good. What’s your first mission?” Xe turned off the burner and grabbed xyr own plate, sitting at the seat across from him.  
“Well, there’s a pretty good bet that there’s activity in that boarded up building next to the middle school, but that’s a little risky for a first time.”  
“Mhm.” Sraosha’s grey eyes were focused on him as he took a bite of toast.  
“So,” He swallowed, “I was thinking of exploring the cemetery.”  
“Didn’t you say that was dangerous?”  
“Well...not that dangerous. I’ll have someone with me this time, it’ll be fine.”  
Sraosha’s expression was an uneven blend of doubt and concern.  
“Well, if you’re sure...” Xe took a dainty bite of xyr eggs. Kareem smirked playfully.  
“If you’re so worried about me, you can always come with us.”   
Xyr demeanor quickly became exhausted. “You know I can’t.”  
“I do, and I also know you can’t stop me.” They continued eating quietly for a moment, but it was soon interrupted.  
“Oh, my bike got destroyed.” Kareem said blankly, then took a bite. Sraosha’s eyebrows raised as xe tried to gage his emotions. Kareem had a habit of telling people he was fine, then proceeding to be the exact opposite of fine. Luckily, ever since moving in with Sraosha, that habit had become rarer.  
“Destroyed? How bad is it?”  
“Well, bad enough we decided to leave it in the parking lot.”   
“...Are you alright?”   
“Yeah, I got over it pretty quick. Besides, Abby has a car, and that’s much more convenient.” He smiled, and Sraosha smiled softly in return. His eggs were finished, so Kareem put the toast in his mouth as he stood and placed his plate in the sink.  
“Bby’s wrkimg tmrrow, so sh’ll mssge mm whn sh’s frr.” He took the toast out of his mouth. “I’m gonna make sure I have everything ready.”  
“Don’t you think you should get some sleep? It’s quite early, and I’m almost certain you stayed up all of last night.” Xe made no motion to get up, but xe kept xyr attention on Kareem as he grabbed his bag.  
“I don’t need sleep. I had coffee like...half an hour ago.” He responded, his tone incredulous. Xe nodded like a kindergarten teacher whose student just excitedly told xem about their favorite tv show.  
“If you’re sure.”   
He put the toast back in his mouth as he nodded and made his way towards his room. He walked past both the tidy living room (obviously Sraosha’s doing), and the balcony area which was lined with small flourishing potted plants. Both of their rooms were next to each other, and their doors looked practically identical. The actual rooms did too once, but they were soon redecorated and furnished to their respective tastes. He opened his door.  
“Ugh, come on!” He told the room. The books that previously carpeted the floor were now neatly and alphabetically placed on the bookshelf near the window, and said window was closed. He grumpily closed his curtains, huffed, and sat in his office chair, only to realize his pens and toys were delicately placed at the corners and back of the desk. He grumbled softly and dragged out his laptop, followed by his notebook. He took a moment to admire the burgundy leather covered in runes and sigils, the slightly damaged ribbon bookmark, and the splotches and stains that coated both the outside and inside. You couldn’t find a notebook like this at Hobby Lobby, that’s for sure. He flipped it open to a random page.

‘Feb 10,  
Classic case of abandoned spirit. Left without a family to mourn them, so they take out their emotions on living folk. This one’s only special cause she’s rich. Found her bawling her eyes out in the attic of this dusty mansion and James shot some holy water at her. It didn’t do nothing though, so we ruled out demon pretty quick. Currently I’m camping in the kitchen since that’s where most people claim the murder happened and James is in the attic since that’s where we first spotted the lady.  
I’m not worried about the kid. He’s tough, He’s got a rifle, he’ll be fine. Just hope he doesn’t start talking to her like Janice does. No secret why she’s in school and James isn’t.

-Sutton III’

Janice didn’t know how lucky she was. He thought absently, then began flipping through to find a good reference for cemetery etiquette. I hope my flashlight turns up s-  
“I made peppermint tea. Do you want some?” Came Sraosha’s voice from the doorway. Kareem jumped.  
“Jesus!...Sure.”  
Xe walked over and placed a steaming mug on his desk.  
“The next time you organize my books while I’m not here, I’m gonna knock all of your plants off the balcony.”  
Xe leaned on the back of his chair.  
“They’re our plants.”  
“I’m serious!”  
“I apologize. If you want to destroy your books, I shouldn’t stop you.” Xe responded, using words that would usually be heavy with sarcasm, but were entirely pure and honest coming from xyr mouth.  
Kareem glared as a reply, then grabbed his cup.  
“Thank you for the tea.” He said dryly.   
Xe smiled and walked out of the room. “You’re most welcome.”  
“And stop opening my curtains!” He called over his shoulder.  
“Alright.”  
Kareem scowled. It was practically impossible to argue with xem. Any time he tried to get angry, xe’d just smile and agree or say something like ‘If you’re sure about that.’ It was as infuriating as it was lucky. He sipped his tea, completely unconcerned with the high temperature. His face scrunched with confusion.  
“Wh-this is chamomile!”   
He thought about getting upset with xem, but ultimately decided against it. He shrugged and took another drink, already feeling the sleepiness set in.  
“Nope! I can do this.” He set it down intensely and returned to the journal in front of him.  
He fell asleep under five minutes later. Chamomile’s one hell of an herb.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment literally anything that you think should be changed or that you enjoyed! I breath feedback like oxygen.


End file.
